Other diseases often neglected in cancer survivors

Compared with people who've never had cancer, those who survive cancer are less likely to get recommended care for a variety of medical conditions, according to a report in the journal Cancer.

"Once you have cancer, it sort of takes over everything, possibly shifting the focus away from other conditions that could be important," lead author Dr. Craig C. Earle, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told AMN Health.

"For several years after treatment, the patient is mostly focused on 'will my cancer come back?' and they're not getting their (cholesterol) checked and those sorts of things," he explained.

The findings are based on an analysis of Medicare claims data for nearly 15,000 subjects who had survived for at least five years after being diagnosed with colon cancer. A group of Medicare patients without a history of cancer served as comparison subjects.

Compared with the other subjects, rates of cholesterol screening, influenza vaccination, and vision testing, for example, were much lower in the survivor group. In addition, survivors were less likely to receive appropriate follow-up for heart failure and necessary diabetes care.

Seeing with both a primary care doctor and an oncologist decreased the likelihood of getting sub-par care, whereas poverty, African-American ethnicity, and old age increased the odds.

"I think it's important to raise awareness of this issue so that we, as oncologists, discuss with our patients the need for follow-up with a primary care physician after their cancer treatment is completed," Earle emphasized. "We don't want to cure their cancer and then have them die from other things."

SOURCE: Cancer, September 13th online issue, 2004.